Qax
is a pleasant and tranquil provincial town, northwest of Sheki,
at the base of an appendix of Azeri territory that penetrates into Georgia
and Dagestan. Not surprisingly a large proportion of the population is
Georgian. The town was built on the bank of the mountain river Kurhumchai,
near the base of the Greater Caucasus. The town's name is translates as
"fortress".

There is a culture centre, but social life
runs around the chaikana, an interesting building with a metallic dome,
located near the Baku bus stop, on a park with a monument to Mammad Mammadov.

The
main bus station is in the south of the town, near the attractive main
Georgian Orthodox church. There are services to Russia and Georgia.

In the northern part of the town there
is a small and poorly maintained hotel, without en-suite bathrooms. Meals
are available at the restaurants "Merkez" and "Bash Gala". Local food is
mostly of Georgian inspiration.

Qax
train station is isolated and quite far from the town, so you may consider
using Sheki's station instead.

Historical sites abound in Qax rayon. Artificial
hills suggest that the region was inhabited already in the Bronze Age.

The village of Ilisu
was once the capital of an independent sultanate. There is only one street
but two castle towers, a mosque and a bridge dating from the 18 th
century remain.

Near
Kakhi, in the forests of the village of Termechi, you'll find the
tomb of Haji Murat, a naib (commander) of Sheikh Shamil - he was a fighter
against Russian occupation, made famous by Tolstoy's story 'Haji Murat'..
On his grave there is a mounted stone plate with an inscription in Arabic
reading "A great martyr, Avar Hadzhi Murat Hunzah is buried here".

In
the village of Kum / Qum there are several monuments dated to the
period of Caucasian Albania, though Georgian also claim them as theirs:
fortress Sirtgala of 18th century, Kum Basilica, ruins dated to the 5th
century, The Round Temple (7th century). In the village of Lekit
there are the ruins of a 12th century monastery complex.

In
the villages of Saribash and Dzhalai local craftswomen weave carpets with
original patterns and sew woolen socks called jorabs. In the village of
Gahbash the residents produce home-made wines.